Forever Yours
by lmaoxlovee
Summary: He had left her, all that time ago, with a broken heart and no means of communication. Now, as she fights for her life against the most dangerous men in the world, he's back. But can she trust him, when all the circumstances tell her not to? Troyella.
1. Awakening

**Hey readers, I'm back! I know I haven't written in a long time, but this idea sort of just came to me and I just had to write it. I've always been more of the reader, than the writer, but oh what the hell! I'm not sure yet where this is going to go, but here's a start. This first chapter is not going to be very long, but just bear with me. If you have any ideas, or would really like me to continue this, please say so in a review. Reviews truly give me the motivation to move on. So before any further rambling…**

**Enjoy!**

Forever Yours

Chapter 1

Awakening

Rancid tomatoes. That's the smell that was slowly sparking Gabriella's gag reflex as she bravely opened her eyes and groaned. Fortunately, the room was dark, dimly lit by a very small window way too far up for her to even consider reaching. She whimpered weakly as all of her senses came back to her; her aching limbs, sore throat (probably from all the screaming), and empty stomach that was threatening to purge its remaining contents, if there were any. She took in her surroundings, noticing for the first time a wooden door on the opposite wall from the one she was laying against. She swallowed some saliva to relieve her parched throat before taking a deep breath, determined to muster all the strength she had left in order to kick down the only thing keeping her from her freedom. But before she could even lift herself up, she heard male voices outside the door, before three familiar looking men came in.

"Well well well, sleeping beauty is finally awake." The first man said in a slight accent that Gabriella didn't immediately recognize. She took in his appearance. He was a very burly looking man, not very tall but not too short. He had an intimidating mustache, immediately reminding her of Hitler. He wasn't as bulky looking as the two tall men behind him, but from their positions she could infer that he was their leader, the one who called the shots.

The man took another step, placing him directly in the ray of light coming from the only window. Suddenly, it dawned on Gabriella who this man was. _Petrolli_. This realization caused Gabriella to remember a key tip, especially when encountering this man; never show fear. With determination running through her veins, she pulled herself into a standing position, ignoring the pain that shot through her limp legs, and held her head up high before speaking.

"What do you want with me Petrolli?" It was a simple question. However, she had a faint idea that he was not going to answer it.

Petrolli chuckled menacingly before taking a step closer to Gabriella. He made a move to touch her face, but the brave, young brunette slapped his hand away instinctively, refusing to seem weak although she was obviously outnumbered. _Show no fear, show no fear. _She chanted in her head.

"Always so feisty," was his response, earning a glare from the woman across from him. "Bind her than take her to the car, I'll be waiting." He said indifferently before leaving Gabriella alone with the two other men, who were both smirking at her as if knowing something she didn't. Then, as if on que, she lowered her eyes to see the tools that one of the men was holding; duck tape and hand cuffs.

_Oh_ _fuck_.

* * *

><p>The long black limo came to a halt, a door opening wide enough for a man to get in. The streets of Brooklyn were empty, the sky was dark. No one would suspect a thing. Unless they were in the car with its occupants.<p>

"Mr. Boen, thank you for joining us." Petrolli greeted with a nod as the stranger took a seat next to him, glancing over at the girl laid across the opposite seats, seemingly unconscious. He studied her, wincing as he took notice of her rough appearance. He looked away, reminding himself to seem apathetic.

"Glad to be involved Sir." He replied with a hand shake. The limousine began to move, its destination unknown to the stranger.

"Is everything ready?" Petrolli pulled out a cigar and a lighter, cracking open the window as well.

"Preparations have been made," Boen assured, sneaking a glance at the girl again just as she began to stir. "But what are you planning on doing with the girl?"

"She will come with us." He replied curtly, puffing some smoke out of his mustached mouth.

Gabriella began to wake upon hearing voices. She didn't open her eyes yet, using the opportunity to listen in on their conversation in order to acquire some information that could be of use. _Boen? Who the hell is Boen? Why does his voice sound so familiar…_

"Sir, we have arrived." The driver voiced from the front of the car. The door opened a few seconds later, Petrolli and Boen sliding out first before one of his men came in to take Gabriella.

Gabriella opened her eyes slightly, still wanting to seem asleep. She watched the backs of two men, one Petrolli and the other what she assumed was Mr. Boen, climb a few steps onto a very expensive looking jet. She still couldn't place a face on Mr. Boen, although she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had encountered him before. The man carried her onto the jet, placing her on a plush leather couch. Making sure no one was around, she took in her surroundings. The plane was beyond luxurious; it even had a bar in the corner.

"If everything runs smoothly, I could be the richest man in the world." Gabriella snapped her eyes shut as Petrolli's voice came near.

"It will." She heard the stranger reply. _Where have I heard that voice before?_

"I'm going to take a nap in the bedroom, it'll pass the time. Marco and Damien are in the cockpit. Feel free to use the bar. And if the girl wakes up, just leave her be. You can take the tape off her mouth if you think you can deal with her incessant chatter." She heard Petrolli stand up, seemingly going to the bedroom. _There's a freaking bedroom on this damn thing?_

She heard a door shut and then there was complete silence. Suddenly, the weight on the couch she was vacating shifted. Then, she felt a hand on her face, pushing her long strands of hair away. However, she did not have the urge to slap this hand away, it felt strangely comforting. Breaking out of her daze, Gabriella snapped her eyes open and attempted to scream, but the duck tape adorning her mouth stopped her.

"Shhh, it's okay." Her head turned to the face of the man sitting next to her on the couch. Her breathing hitched as her eyes locked onto his. His gaze was penetrating; the deep blue of his eyes showed unshed emotion, as if he was worried. Then it hit her, like a strike of lightening.

"You're going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here, I promise."

Before her was no Mr. Boen. Sitting there, with eyes shining remorsefully was the man that had left her two years ago. The man that she had fallen so deeply in love with. The man that had broken her heart. And now, the man that had betrayed her.

Troy Bolton.

**So that's it, chapter one! I know it was kind of short, but the future chapters will probably be longer, just bear with me. Also, I know most of you will be pretty confused, but everything will be explained in future chapters. Please REVIEW. It is much appreciated and seriously motivates me. Thanks so much for reading :)**


	2. Wounds Reopened

**Hey guys, here's chapter two. I know you all must be a little confused, but trust me. Everything will be explained throughout the story. You're supposed to be wondering what's going on, and if you are, then mission accomplished. Please REVIEW, I'm trying to hit 100 reviews with this story, I'd be so happy if you could help me do that. Thanks!**

"_Shhh, it's okay." Her head snapped to the face of the man sitting next to her on the couch. Her breath hitched as her eyes locked onto his. His gaze was penetrating; the deep blue of his eyes showed unshed emotion, as if he was worried. Then it hit her, like a strike of lightening._

"_You're going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here, I promise."_

_Before her was no Mr. Boen. Sitting there, with eyes shining remorsefully was the man that had left her a year and a half ago. The man that she had fallen so deeply in love with. The man that had broken her heart. And now, the man that had betrayed her._

_Troy Bolton._

Chapter 2

Wounds Reopened_  
><em>

Her thoughts were running haywire as her mind adjusted to the fact that Troy Bolton was in her presence, staring at her with those electrifying blue eyes that always seemed to turn her insides to mush. _What was he doing here? Was he working with Petrolli? Why was he being nice to her? Why was he being called Mr. Boen, instead of Mr. Bolton? Was he one of the bad guys or one of the good guys?_

Her eyes widened at her last thought, suddenly realizing that he was in fact involved with Hector Petrolli, one of the most well known, and also the most wanted drug lord in the world. But no. Her Troy could not be playing on the dark side. _Could he?_ After all, he was no longer _her_ Troy. The man in front of could be anybody now. She no longer knew him. And for some reason, that hurt her.

Troy frowned as Gabriella squirmed away from him with a look of disgust in her eyes. Troy reached out to her, whispering words of comfort to try and get her to calm down.

"Gabriella, I'm going to take the tape off of your mouth. But you cannot scream. If you scream, the other men will come in here, and that won't help. You must stay calm, and trust me." Troy said formally, reaching out hesitantly.

Gabriella looked at him quizzically for a few seconds, before nodding her head and allowing him to slowly remove the duck tape.

After the tape was removed, her tongue immediately darted out to lick her dry lips. But it wasn't long before she narrowed her eyes at the man before her, unknowing to her wrath that was about to be unleashed.

"Trust you? Trust you? Do you seriously expect me to fucking trust you?" She spat out, missing the way Troy's eyes cast down in hurt. She kept her voice low to make sure the men in the other rooms wouldn't hear.

"Gabriella, you must calm down."

"Calm down! What the hell is going on?" She sat up, scooting as far away from Troy as possible.

"I can't tell you that right now. All I can say is that nothing will happen to you. I promise." He looked up at her, pure truth in his eyes.

"Your promises mean nothing to me anymore Troy." She whispered, the pain of seeing him again suddenly hitting her.

Troy looked away shamefully, before straightening his back and putting on an emotionless face. "I understand. But whether you believe me or not, I'm the only one who is going to get you out of here alive, so keep your mouth shut and do what I say. Also, it's very important that you don't call me Bolton, I am Mr. Boen from here on. Got it?"

_Who the fuck did he think he was?_

"You smug bastard! Do I look like a child? Now I want to know what's going on right now or I'm going to scream and tell everyone who you really are." She said defiantly, meeting his hard glare with one of her own.

"And you say you're not a child. Look, I'm not who they think I am, they don't know who I really am and I'd like it to stay that way, or else were both screwed. So unless you want to die, I'd shut up and listen to me." He said dominantly.

"Why should I trust you?" She studied him thoroughly, only now noticing how much he had changed. His once shaggy hair was now cut shorter, sticking up in places, making him look rugged and much more mature. He was also a lot more muscular, not bulky, but lean. She couldn't deny the attraction she still had towards him, even with the circumstances.

"Because I would never deliberately do anything to hurt you Gabriella." He said truthfully before swiftly breaking their intense gaze and heading towards the bar.

"Too late." She muttered, as she pushed back the tears that were threatening to fall as the memory of the last time she saw him replayed in her head.

_Two years ago_

"_And could you maybe try and turn down the volume on the stupid TV when you're watching those stupid drama shows?" 22 year old Troy Bolton yelled to his girlfriend of a year and a half, Gabriella Montez._

"_If you were always so damn bothered about these little annoyances, why didn't you say something before? Why are you suddenly trying to pick a fight?" She bellowed back. Her boyfriend had been acting very strange lately. He always came home tense and in a bad mood and he seemed to pick a fight at any given moment._

"_I didn't realize them before recently and now I can't take it anymore! You're so infuriating Gabriella!" He fumed, wincing at her hurt expression and the tears that started to form in her beautiful brown eyes that he'd always loved so much._

"_What's your problem Troy? You're always angry, you push me away, you pick fights! Is it me? Am I doing something wrong because I just don't get it!" Feeling defeated, tears started leaking out of her eyes as her chin dropped down to her chest, refusing to look at the man she loved and was afraid of losing._

_Suddenly, it was silent. Gabriella was too afraid to look up, so instead she continued to stare at the ground. Then, she felt Troy's breath near her face. He took her in his arms in a warm embrace. She immediately relaxed, snuggling her head in the crook of his neck and clinging to his shirt._

"_It's not you. Always remember that." She didn't question his odd choice of words, content now that she was in his arms and the yelling had stopped. In one swift movement, he picked her up bridal style, holding her close and dropping kisses to her head every now and then. She placed her arms around his neck, letting him carry her up the stairs of their cozy apartment. He laid her down on their bed, pulling the covers back and placing them on top of her. _

_As soon as her head hit the pillow, her eyes felt heavy and sleep had overcome her._

"_I love you." Were the last words that she heard before she drifted off._

_The next morning, she awoke to a beautiful morning. The sun was shining through the window and the birds were heard chirping outside. However, when she turned to greet her boyfriend, his side of the bed was empty and cold. The only thing in his place was a small note left on his pillow. She picked it up, rubbing her eyes sleepily before focusing them on the piece of paper._

_I'll be forever yours._

_She scrunched her nose in confusion. Why would he write that? It sounded very strange. She placed the note on the bed side table before rising from the bed. But as she made her way to the bathroom, she noticed that some of the drawers on the dresser were hazardously open. She went to close them, but noticed that all of them were empty. And all of them were Troy's drawers._

_It suddenly hit her, like a stab to her heart; I'll be forever yours._

_It was a goodbye._

_End of flashback_

"Gabi, what's wrong?" Troy rushed over when he noticed the tears streaming down Gabriella's face and the faraway look in her eyes.

Hearing Troy's voice brought her back to reality, she turned her head towards him slowly before frantically wiping away the tears. She had cried enough tears for this man. She would not show any more weakness.

"Don't call me that. You have no right to call me that anymore. Why'd you do it Troy? Why'd you leave?" She looked into his eyes, searching for an answer to the one question that had been plaguing her mind for two years.

The question caught him off guard. Remorse and regret suddenly burned his insides, causing him to jolt from his kneeling position.

"I-I had to." He stuttered.

"That's not good enough. Why did you have to? You have no idea what that did to me." She desperately tried to make him understand.

"I have my reasons." He replied curtly, masking his face with an expressionless countenance once again.

She didn't carry on the matter any further. Troy Bolton meant nothing to her anymore. Or so she tried to convince herself. But oh was that hard when he was standing a mere distance away from her, his scent that she had missed so much still lingering in the air.

"Why am I here?" She mirrored his stoic expression with one of her own.

"You're here because of Liam Adler."

"What does he have to do with any of this?" Her eyes widened at the familiar name.

"Wow, you really have no idea?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly, sitting down on an arm chair close to the couch that Gabriella was occupying.

"Why would I?" She replied.

"Because after all, he_ is_ your fiancé."

**REVIEW. That's all I ask :)**

**Cliffhanger, sorry guys. I hope some of your questions were answered in this, I know it's a little confusing, just bear with me. Everything will make sense in time. But if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me in a review!**


	3. Revelations

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! But come on guys, you can do better than that! This chapter is more of a filler, to answer some of your unanswered questions and explain a few things.**

**pumkinking5- thanks so much for following my stories and reviewing so often, I really appreciate it :)**

"_Why am I here?" She mirrored his stoic expression with one of her own._

"_You're here because of Liam Adler."_

"_What does he have to do with any of this?" Her eyes widened at the familiar name._

"_Wow, you really have no idea?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly, sitting down on an arm chair close to the couch that Gabriella was occupying._

"_Why would I?" She replied._

"_Because after all, he _is_ your fiancé."_

Chapter 3

Revelations

The silence was deafening. Not only deafening, but extremely awkward.

Gabriella didn't know how to respond, it still hadn't processed to her that Liam was the reason for her _situation_. She was still reeling from the fact that Troy knew about him at all. Well, it made sense. Liam Adler was one of the wealthiest men in the world, with connections to business men in various locations, in literally every continent. Who didn't know that he was engaged to marry Gabriella Montez, a nobody, in her perspective. How she ended up with him was still a mystery to her.

It all started in a quaint café, where he'd bumped into her; accidently spilled a hot cup of coffee straight down her white work shirt. Talk about awkward. Being the wealthy, but gentleman that he was, he offered her his private car to take her wherever she wanted in order to get cleaned up. Usually, she wouldn't take things as generous as this from strangers, but she had a meeting in less than an hour, so she was desperate. Knowing that taxis are frustratingly hard to flag down at the current hour, she reluctantly accepted the offer. However, when the car was returned to its owner, Liam had found a cell phone in the back seat, and immediately sought out Gabriella to return it to her. Thus sparking their first date, then second, then eventually after dating exclusively for many months, he had proposed, and she had said yes.

It was all very fast in Gabriella's opinion, but what was stopping her? The only person that could have possibly made her reevaluate her options was Troy. And that fact was also a large and very relevant reason as to why she was engaged; Troy had left her, and it was time to finally move on. Yes, there'd always be a hole in her heart that only he could fill, but she wouldn't let his absence hold her back any longer. She deserved happiness, and Liam pretty much had happiness written across his forehead. So she took a leap of faith, and put her whole heart into making it work with Liam.

But as she sat there in the jet, staring at the man she had fallen so deeply for all those years ago, she couldn't help but wonder.

If she'd given her whole heart to Liam, why was it suddenly aching for Troy?

"I see you've removed her muzzle." Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice by the door on her left.

"Have a good rest sir?" Troy spoke up as Petrolli walked over and took a seat opposite him.

"How many times have I told you to call me Hector, we've been working together for ages now my boy." He spoke in his peculiar accent, smiling at Troy as if they were best friends.

The cockpit door opened suddenly, revealing one of Petrolli's henchmen.

"Sir, we are about to land." Alfonso spoke, glancing over at Gabriella with a grotesque smirk, that didn't go unnoticed by Troy.

Petrolli nodded as he rose to go sit on the couch next to the very overwhelmed brunette.

"You are a very beautiful woman, Mrs. Adler." Petrolli stroked her cheek, earning a squirm from Gabriella.

"I am not Mrs. Adler, yet." She glanced at Troy, who remained seated with a passive glance at Gabriella and the chubby man beside her. However, she knew him too well; she could tell by how his jaw muscles tensed that he was holding back.

"Yes, but you are to be married soon, am I right?" The plane could be heard dropping in elevation, causing Gabriella to feel slightly nauseous.

"Yes. Why are you so interested in my fiancé?" She asked, trying to seem oblivious so she didn't reveal the information that Troy had already told her.

"Because he is a very…successful man. Quite like myself. I'm sure he'd do whatever it took to get his woman back unharmed, don't you think?" Petrolli smirked, somewhat revealing his plan.

"So is that what this is about? You are holding me hostage in order to get ransom money from Liam? Sounds played out to me." She played cool, deciding that confidence was the only way she was going to get out of there in one piece.

"Oh beauty, there is much more to it. But I applaud your deduction, you are not only stunning, but you've got brains as well. Mr. Adler is a very lucky man, indeed." He placed his hand on her leg mischievously; completely oblivious to Troy's eyes narrowing a few feet away.

Gabriella's eyes turned to slits. Fed up with being felt up by the disgusting man before her, she jolted her leg up, kneeing him in the chin.

"Why you litt-

He grasped her shoulder violently, but before he could do any damage, she turned her head and bit down hard on his hand. He yelped in pain, jumping back in the process.

"Don't. Touch. Me." She seethed angrily. But her anger quickly turned to fear when Petrolli stood up and swung his arm back to hit her. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the pain that would soon ensue. But when she did not feel anything, she opened her eyes.

"Hector, now's not the time. We can't have her bruised; it will cause complications with the deal. You should sit, we are about to land." Troy held Petrolli's arm back, looking him straight in the eye persuasively.

"Fine, but listen here beauty. You try something like that again, I won't let anyone or anything stop me. You won't even have time to regret it, you will be writhing on the floor in pain. Don't test me." He spat, pulling his arm from Troy's grasp aggressively before stomping back into the bedroom vehemently.

"W-why'd you do that…Why did you stop him?" She asked breathlessly, staring wide eyed at the man still standing before her, staring at the closed bedroom door.

"I promised." He whispered, almost inaudibly. He went to sit back down in the armchair, staring out of one of the windows, obviously deep in thought.

Gabriella had never been more flustered in her life. She had put together some of the pieces; Petrolli was after Liam's money, thus her being in the predicament she was currently in. But she still couldn't figure out how the hell Troy fit into all this? He said that he would protect her, he said that they didn't know who he really was…so was he an imposter? Was he sent to get her out of there? But that couldn't be, Petrolli spoke to him as if they had known each other for a long time. Gabriella sat up straight, staggering thoughts entering her mind that she knew would plague her until she learned the truth.

What if Troy had helped Petrolli kidnap her?

What if he was only pretending to be on her side, in order to keep her calm?

What if he _was_ a bad guy?

She shook her head instinctively, shaking the thoughts away. Playing the "what if" game was not a good idea. She couldn't think like that. Being pessimistic would get her nowhere, it would only drive her crazy. She needed to hold onto hope, because one thing was for sure.

If Troy wasn't on her side, then she was alone. And that thought alone scared her more than all the others.

**REVIEW please! Without reviews, I really lose motivation which is already happening so please tell me what you think!**


	4. Nowhere to Go

**First of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'd really like to hit 100 so please; any comments or constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms! Second, I made this chapter a lot longer than I normally do. I know my updates are getting slower, but bare with me. I've had a little trouble coming up with details for this story, just a little writer's block. But I promise I won't put this on hiatus or anything, you'll always get an update eventually. And if it takes longer than usual, I'll let you know beforehand.**

**By the way, I changed Alfonso's name to Marco. I just couldn't take the name Alfonso seriously haha.**

**Here's Chapter 4, enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Nowhere to Go

Planes _sucked_. That's all that consumed Gabriella's thoughts as the jet experienced very rough turbulence. Turbulence that was really starting to freak her out. There was nothing to hold onto either, as her hands were cuffed together uncomfortably. Every time the jet jumped, she almost fell off the couch, making her have to scoot back on, which was not an easy task considering her conditions.

"Can you take these stupid things off of my hands? I'm going to fall." She muttered frustratingly to Troy, who was still seated on the armchair across from her with no apparent difficulty.

"You'll be fine." He remained staring out the window, hardly even aware of the violent thrashing of the plane. However, just as he spoke, the turbulence was turned up a notch. The plane jumped as if it was hit with something. Gabriella was thrust forward, closing her eyes in preparation for the pain that would sure ensue. However, she was instead met with a pair of arms encasing around her, pulling her back onto the coach in a safer position.

"Ho-how did you get over here so fast?" She breathed heavily, staring awe eyed at the man before her.

"Instincts," He replied simply, reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket to retrieve a small key. He sat down beside her before reaching behind and unlocking the hand cuffs. "There, happy now?"

Gabriella, however, did not reply. Instead, she swung her body to face him and without any hesitation, slapped him straight across the face with her right hand. Troy's head snapped to the side from the blow, the red outline on his face beginning to show and the echo of the rapid movement still lingering in the air. "Yes, now I'm happy."

"What the hell was that for?" He stood up abruptly, fists clenched and jaw tightened in anger.

She rose from the couch as well, holding her head up high to show that she was not intimidated by his domineering appearance.

"The list is too long to name." She crossed her arms, watching as Troy's eyes softened, then turned unreadable again.

"Stop being dramatic Gabriella, I can put those cuffs back on you anytime." He threatened. They continued to stare at each other heatedly, neither wanting to be the first to break the icy eye contact. As if on que, they both stepped back quickly, realizing their very close proximity to each other.

Suddenly, the cockpit door opened and one of Petrolli's henchmen stepped out.

"We've landed. Inform Mr. Petrolli." Troy glanced at Marco, then Gabriella, wondering the same thing she was.

They hadn't even noticed the plane land.

Troy coughed uncomfortably, nodding and heading over to the opposite sliding door.

Marco took the opportunity to introduce himself to Gabriella.

"I see you've been un-cuffed…what a shame. Those could have been fun." He walked over to her with a suggestive smirk. Gabriella flinched, finding his accent and perverted remarks repulsive. But she couldn't help the tingle of fear that ran up her spine as he came closer to her. He was a very large man with dark cropped hair and his narrowed brown eyes revealed his threatening intentions clearly.

"Yah, if they locked you in a burning building. Stay away from me." She spat.

"Feisty, so feisty. They're so much better in bed." He reached for her waist, but she was quick to fend for herself. She kneed him in the groin, smirking in satisfaction as he groaned and bent over in pain. Her satisfaction was soon turned to fear when his body suddenly shot up. His eyes darkened and his stature seemed even more threatening than before, as if he was a predator, hunting his prey.

"Big mistake, princess." He grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her towards him then pushing her down on the couch roughly. He placed his knee in between her thighs, locking her down, making it impossible for her to get up. She thrashed her arms around, pushing at his chest but her strength was no match for his.

"Get off me! Help!" She yelped but he was quick to shut her up. One hand covered her mouth while the other locked both her wrists above her head. He started kissing down her neck, making her squirm violently. Tears began to well in her eyes as his lips moved south, right on her collarbone. Suddenly, he was ripped from on top of her.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Troy bellowed, holding Marco by the collar. "Get the fuck out of here now."

"You're not my boss." Marco grimaced.

"No, but I'm sure Petrolli would love to hear about this." Troy threatened. Marco pulled out of Troy's hold, glancing venomously at Gabriella before storming out of the already open exit of the jet.

Troy turned to Gabriella, his dark, furious eyes softening as he took in her crumpled demeanor. She was on the edge of the coach, clutching her legs to her chest with her head hidden, shaking uncontrollably.

"Gabi…" He kneeled in front of her, placing his hand on her arm. He quickly retracted it as she jumped shockingly and her head shot up in fear. "Everything's okay, it's just me." He whispered. Her shaking calmed down as she looked at Troy, thankful that he came at the right time. He reached up to wipe away her stray tears with his thumb.

"No, Troy. Everything is not okay." She whispered.

"What's going on?" They both turned to see Petrolli, coming out of the bedroom carrying a small bag.

Troy stood up, holding his hands behind his back professionally. "Nothing, Hector."

Petrolli didn't seem fazed. He glanced at Gabriella who was now staring at the floor, then to Troy again.

"Alright well then cuff her back up and let's move, we don't have all day." He exited the jet, leaving Troy and Gabriella alone once again.

Troy picked up the hand cuffs from the floor, seemingly there because of the earlier turbulence. Gabriella held out her hands, still keeping her eyes fixed on anything but Troy.

"Can you put them on the front, it hurts when they're behind my back." She muttered dejectedly.

Troy nodded then placed them on gently, lingering his hand on Gabriella's a little longer than necessary before pulling her up slowly. Damien came out of the cockpit at that moment, coming towards Gabriella. She looked at Troy pleadingly, afraid that he too would try something like Marco had.

"It's alright, I'll take her." Troy told Damien, gesturing for him to go. Damien nodded obediently, stepping in front of them to the exit. Troy placed a hand on Gabriella's back and began to lead her out, taking notice of how quiet she had gotten, but deciding not to say anything about it.

Gabriella descended the steps of the jet, Troy close behind her. She took the time to take in her surroundings. She noticed they were in a very closed off landing space and immediately felt the heat wave hit her naturally tan skin. There were tall trees in the distance, giving the impression that they were somewhere exotic. There were two black cars waiting for them, and as they approached, Gabriella found herself praying she wasn't placed in the same car as Marco.

Troy led her to the first car, letting her slide in before him. She felt relieved upon entering and seeing that its only occupant was Petrolli, who was lighting a cigar. She scooted over a little, expecting Troy to enter as well but instead he went to close the door. A look of panic crossed her face, not missed by Troy. He gave her a reassuring look back, sending her comforting messages through his eyes before closing the door. She scooted as close to the door as possible, flinching as the passenger door was opened and someone came in, in front of her. Troy turned in his seat, nodding to Petrolli then glancing at Gabriella.

Gabriella sighed in relief then a realization dawned on her.

She felt completely safe, as long as Troy was around. No surprise, he had come to her rescue numerous times in the past few hours. Although he had promised to protect her, she couldn't help but wonder.

Why was he always saving her?

Her thoughts were interrupted as a bag was suddenly put over her head.

* * *

><p>Gabriella squirmed as the black bag with air holes was pulled off. She blinked a few times as her eyes tried to adjust to the new light. When she looked up, she was in awe. She was standing in the foyer of an extraordinary house. It was lavish and smelled…clean, she noted. She kept her mouth shut, remembering the threat that if she said a word until allowed then she'd be reintroduced to the duck tape. She rubbed her wrists as Damien took the cuffs off.<p>

"Like what you see, Beauty?" Gabriella scrunched her nose at the annoying nickname that Petrolli had apparently given her.

"It's a decent house," she said simply. _"Even though decent is the last word I'd associate with you." _She muttered under her breath.

"You'll have your own room upstairs, because I'm so generous." He said egotistically, not missing the scoff that escaped the brunette's mouth from the absurdity of the statement.

"Oh, how nice of you." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and sending a glare behind her shoulder at Damien who was pushing her along roughly.

They ascended the long curved staircase on the right, reaching the top and turning left. Gabriella walked slowly, party to piss off Damien, and partly to observe the things around her. She took notice of the many picture frames on the walls; she didn't recognize one face. She looked back, then ahead of her again, astounded at the number of rooms their seemed to be on the top floor. Damien opened the door of a room on the left, waiting for her to walk in.

Gabriella glanced behind her again, reveling in the fact that no one else was upstairs. She took this opportunity to make her first attempt at escaping, figuring that if she could get out of the house, she could easily catch the attention of someone from a house nearby. If she was going to get out of here, she'd have to suck up her fears and be brave.

"Damien, right?" She smirked seductively, slowly moving closer to the tall man. He had cropped dark hair, much like Marco's, but with slight facial hair as well.

"Yes." He raised an eyebrow, oblivious to her intentions. She internally jumped for joy when she realized that he was so obviously the airhead of the two goons.

"You know, you're different from that other guy, Marco. You're much more…toned. How about you join me in there?" She raised a hand to his chest, smiling suggestively at him. He smiled down at her, putting a hand on her waist. He started walking backwards into the room, pulling her along with him.

"I'd say I'm sorry for this, but I won't be." She halted.

"Huh?" He tilted his head in confusion. Before anything else could be said, she kneed him hard in his manhood, causing him to groan loudly and bend over in pain. She mustered up all her strength and kicked him to the floor before running out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She ran to the staircase, looking over the railing to see if anyone was around the door. No one was in sight, so she quickly descended the stairs, glancing around her to make sure she wouldn't be stopped. She pulled open the door easily, smiling at the stupidity of her kidnappers. They obviously sucked at holding someone hostage if they didn't even lock the damn doors. She ran off the porch, looked up, then gasped.

Now she understood why they didn't bother to lock the doors.

"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" She swiveled around to see Troy, standing behind her with his hands in his pockets.

"Wha-How-Where the fuck are we?" She yelled. She had immediately assumed there would be houses nearby, but there was not one in sight. They were in the middle of nowhere. The house was surrounded by tall trees, woods she assumed. She couldn't even locate the driveway. _How did they even get here?_

Her mind was whirring, the woods seemed to go on forever, if she wandered in them, she would surely get herself lost. There was nowhere to go, she was trapped.

"Please don't try to run away, you'll get lost, and you won't survive alone in those woods. Trust me." He said bluntly.

"You keep saying that. _Trust_ you. How the hell am I supposed to do that? Look around you, Troy! We're in the middle of nowhere at the house of one of the most wanted criminals in the world, and you're on _their_ side. You're the kidnapper, I'm the kidnapped. You may not have been the sole reason I was brought here, but you're a part of it. I know how these types of situations work, I'm not naïve. You get what you want then kill me because I know too much right? You might as well just kill me yourself." She could feel the tears burning her eyes, she felt completely defeated and utterly hopeless.

Troy's jaw clenched and his eyes looked deep into her own, revealing the anguish he felt upon hearing her words. He quickly walked over to her, hating himself even more upon noticing the unshed tears in her eyes. He cupped her face with his palms, disregarding the fact that someone could walk out and stumble upon their intimate position.

"It hurts me so much that you think I could ever intentionally harm you in any way, especially physically," she took note of how he always seemed to use the word _intentionally_ when it came to him hurting her. "I know how it all seems, I know you find it hard to trust me. I don't blame you, Gabriella. But you have to know that I would never harm you. And I would never let anyone else harm you either. I'm on your side. I'm always on your side." With that, he lowered his hands, stepping back from her hesitantly. Gabriella looked at him in shock. Her heart beat was definitely faster than normal.

"You will get out of here eventually, and you will be reunited with your fiancé. I promise." He lowered his head. For some reason, that last statement bothered her. But she shook the thought away.

"I-" She stopped herself, not knowing what to say. She sighed before walking back towards the house.

"Get comfortable Beauty, you're not going anywhere." Petrolli chuckled as she came back into the house. He seated himself on the couch in the large living room. She heard Troy walk in behind her, shutting the door. She glanced up the staircase at Damien, who was at the top glaring down at her. She straightened her shoulders, then walked over and sat down on the couch opposite Petrolli.

"If I'm going to be here for a while, I think I deserve to know the details. You seem like the type of man who comes across money easily and frequently, why is Liam of such interest to you?" She addressed him professionally, watching intently as he opened the newspaper in his hand, not even looking up at her.

"You're a school teacher, right Beauty?" He changed the subject nonchalantly.

"You didn't answer my question, why should I answer yours." She laid back on the couch, holding her hands in her lap and crossing her legs. She randomly found herself wondering what she would wear if she'd be here for more than one day. She didn't think she'd last in the same jeans and white v-neck tee.

"It's not what you initially intended to do right? You studied the sciences; you are a very smart woman from what I've…gathered. Why would you suddenly go from majoring in math and science, to child education?" He pushed on, putting down his newspaper, finally meeting her gaze.

She bit her lip, deciding to play his game then get her answers when the time was right. "I love children." She said simply. Her gaze landed on Troy, who was leaning against the entrance to the living room, arms crossed and eyes watching her intently.

"What changed your mind?" He asked again, looking for a specific answer. Gabriella glanced at Troy again, knowing that she couldn't divulge her real answer.

"I just realized I'd rather be helping kids learn math and science then making a profession out of them."

"A doctor makes a lot more money than a teacher." He stated bluntly.

"It's not always about the money, _Hector_." She spat out his name, refusing to hold back.

Petrolli chuckled, picking up the glass from the coffee table in front of him and taking a sip from it.

"It's been a long day. You should go upstairs and get cleaned up. You'll find everything you need in your bedroom. Dinner will be served in an hour, you are expected to attend." He dismissed her, returning to his newspaper.

She rolled her eyes before getting up, brushing by Troy, and heading up to her room. Upon entering it, her mouth dropped open. It was a large suite with a walk in closet and bathroom. The bed looked strangely inviting and there was also double doors leading to a small balcony. She shook her head, they really were the worst kidnappers ever. She walked out onto the balcony, leaning her arms against the railing, sighing at the view. It consisted of never ending woods, the only sight to see was the tranquil sunset in the distance. She lowered her head, the day's events finally hitting her full force.

She turned around and lowered herself onto the floor, with her back against the railing. Suddenly, tears started pouring out of her eyes uncontrollably.

She was trapped here, for God knows how long, with one of America's Most Wanted and the man that still managed to make her stomach flutter.

She was in for something she was not prepared for.

She was scared for her life, and for her heart.

**REVIEW please. That's all I ask :)**


	5. Taking Chances

**Hey guys, this one's sort of a filler, sorry if it's a little boring. But trust me, it'll get much more interesting ;) Thanks to everyone who reviewed, keep 'em coming!**

Chapter 5

Taking Chances

There was an upside to being kidnapped and held hostage in the middle of nowhere with no escape.

A closet full of new stuff.

Gabriella was in awe as she walked through the luxurious walk in closet in her bedroom. Or rather, her containment cell, as she'd like to call it. The question of what she'd wear was answered the second she walked in. Not only was it full of clothes, but there were shoes as well. _Lots_ of shoes. There was a pair of every type; sneakers, high heels, flip flops, even hiking boots. However, after the initial shock had worn off, only anger was left in its place.

Were they freaking serious?

Gabriella scoffed as she stormed out of the closet, hair still damp from her shower a few minutes ago. Did they seriously think they could buy her? Her mind was reeling with violent and frustrated thoughts. If Petrolli thought he could give her a bunch of nice things so she'd play nice from now on, he was completely insane. She would not tame that easily. She was going to fight, and she was certainly not going to make life easy for the villains. She walked over to the dresser across from the bed, which happened to have a TV on the wall above it, and yanked open the top drawer venomously. Her eyes widened and her fists tightened as she took in the numerous undergarments. There was even lingerie.

_Hell_ no.

* * *

><p>"You have got to be kidding me!"<p>

"Nice of you to join us, Beauty." Petrolli chuckled, taking in the brunette who just stormed into the dining room, in only a bath robe.

"You kidnap me, tape my mouth, cuff me, take me to the middle of freaking shitville, refuse to let me make any phone calls, not that there's any freaking phones in this damn house anyways, and you expect me to play nice now that you've given me a decent bedroom and a few nice possessions?" She seethed.

"We are just trying to make you feel comfortable." He didn't even bother looking up at her.

"Comfortable? That's not possible. I will be comfortable when I'm returned home." She wanted to hit something, or rather, someone. She was so consumed in her anger that she didn't notice the others at the table all staring at her, until one of them coughed.

Her head slowly turned, her eyes making contact with Troy's amused smirk. He was sitting in the middle of the table, on the left side, with papers on the table in front of him. Petrolli was at the head of the table, with Marco and Damien across from Troy on the right side.

"Nice robe, Princess." Marco said, breaking the awkward silence.

"My name is Gabriella." She said to no one in particular, the annoying nicknames not helping in the anger department. She held her robe tighter to her body, feeling uncomfortable from the familiar look in Marco's eyes.

She stormed back up to her room, slamming the door immaturely, then locking it. No way in hell was she going down and eating dinner with those neanderthals like nothing was wrong. Even if her stomach was begging for her to suck up her pride and feed it. And if she was going to wear the clothes that were given her, she would only wear the cheap looking ones. Hmph.

She picked out a pair of comfy looking grey sweatpants and a random t-shirt, then sat down on her bed, her loneliness just now sinking in.

What the hell was she supposed to do in this damn place?

She got up, walking over to the small bookshelf in the corner. She skimmed the titles, picking out one that she knew ended happily. She pushed the armchair in her room onto the balcony, then grabbed a small blanket from the closet. She pulled her legs up under her as she snuggled up on the chair, opening the book and drifting into a world where her problems were nonexistent and everything was okay.

Because for a short time, even if it was unrealistic, she just needed everything to be okay.

"Yo, Princess, dinner's ready." She ignored the voice outside her door.

Ten minutes later.

"Ms. Montez, food's getting cold."

Thirty minutes later.

"Gabi, you have to eat something."

Her eyes lifted at the softness of the voice, immediately recognizing it as Troy's. However, she didn't let it faze her. She ignored him and returned to the book in her lap, letting her thoughts fill with happily ever afters instead of the happily ever after that had left her two years ago.

Gabriella closed the book an hour later, getting up and stretching her sore limbs. The action caused a yawn to escape her lips, making her realize just how tired she really was. After all, it had been a long day. She went inside, closing the balcony doors behind her. It was getting dark, she glanced at the clock on the bedside table; 7:55 PM. She decided to go to sleep early. She changed into an over sized t-shirt and pajama shorts, ignoring the grumble of her deprived stomach. But it was soon forgotten the moment her head hit the soft pillow.

* * *

><p>Gabriella stirred as the bright morning sun shone in through the windows. She stretched comfortably, glancing at the clock. 6:45 AM. Waking up that early should be illegal, she thought as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around her, her predicament suddenly hitting her. She groaned as she fell back on the pillow. Her stomach growled loudly, rebelling against her for not eating lunch or dinner the previous day. An idea popped into her head, causing her to jump up from the bed quickly.<p>

It was abnormally early, thank god she went to sleep early, which meant that everyone else was probably still asleep, giving her a perfect in to grab some food and hijack it back to her bedroom before anyone even found out.

She unlocked her door, opening it and peeking her head outside to make sure the coast was clear. No one in sight.

Hah. What now suckers.

She tip toed to the kitchen, taking a moment to revel at yet another outstandingly large and luxurious room. Except this room had food in it. Score!

She opened the fridge quietly, thanking the higher powers for the variety of foods seemingly calling her name. She skimmed the contents, grabbing some leftovers in aluminum foil, an apple, and a bottle of juice. She shut the fridge door with her foot then turned to what she assumed was a pantry. She gleefully grabbed a bag of potato chips then turned to go, smiling wide upon thinking her mission was accomplished.

"Ehem," she was wrong. "For someone as small as you, you always had no problem eating." Troy leaned against the counter, arms crossed and simply wearing jeans and a navy t-shirt. He watched amused as Gabriella's head shot up, like a deer caught in head lights. He skimmed her body with his eyes subconsciously, taking in her messy bed head and curvy body clad in only an over sized t-shirt. He swallowed nervously at the tight feeling he got in his pants and ignored the tug in his heart at realizing how much he missed seeing her in _his_ clothes.

"Shut up Troy and leave me alone." She tried to walk past him, keeping her head held high to try and somewhat prove she wasn't completely humiliated. She always did have no problem eating, was that one of the reasons he left her? Because she was getting chubby or something? She shook off the thoughts, deeming them inappropriate at a time like this. Opposite her, Troy was having similar thoughts. Except his mind was reminiscing how he actually found her appetite adorable and it was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place.

"You could have just come to dinner yesterday."

"Well we can all sit around the campfire and sing songs another time, but for now, I'd like to stay away from _you people_ until I'm rescued." She looked him straight in the eye, mistaking the hurt that flashed across his face for shock.

"Like it or not Gabriella, you are going to be here for a little while. You'll have to learn to cope." He straightened his shoulders, looking down at her.

"Just because I'm here, against my will if you haven't forgotten, doesn't mean I have to go by the rules. I'm not a prisoner…._although I feel like one_." She muttered the last part, wriggling in place as she tried to pull up the t-shirt so her shorts could be seen as well. She suddenly felt very self concious, aware of the fact that she looked like shit while Troy managed to look completely fuckable so easily. Her eyes widened after realizing she just mentally called Troy fuckable.

The ends of his mouth threatened to turn up as memories of her stubbornness flooded his mind. He'd always loved that she was such a fighter. "I left a tray of food outside of your room last night, did that not reach your standards?"

She stopped herself from smiling at his gesture, secretly hoping his words meant that maybe he still cared. She looked away from his face, mentally kicking herself for having thoughts like that. _You have a fiancé waiting for you Gabriella._

"In a place like this, I have no standards. And FYI, there was nothing outside of the room when I opened the door this morning." She replied.

Troy's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "Oh, well then someone must have taken it away."

"Ya think," she was about to walk away, but then stopped, looking down, contemplating on whether or not to continue. It was now or never, "Troy…what does Petrolli plan on doing with me? I'm…I'm confused. I've heard about him and his crimes, they mostly lead to deaths. I know you promised that I wouldn't get hurt, but when it comes down to it, can you really keep a promise like that?"

She looked up at him with pure fear in her beautiful brown eyes. He couldn't bear it. He knew that he'd do anything to protect her, but the real question was; would he be able to? If Petrolli found out about him and Gabriella's history, he'd be off the job in a matter of minutes. And off the job, meant a bullet to the head. He didn't know if he could give her the reassurance she was looking for when he was also doubting himself.

She saw the conflict in his eyes and lowered her head, afraid that he'd see the desperation in her countenance. Not giving him a chance to reply to the question that she thought she already knew the answer to, she quietly walked back to her room and locked the door.

She wasn't so hungry anymore.

* * *

><p>The day was going by slowly. After Gabriella had eaten, she tried to find ways to pass the time, wanting to keep busy so her thoughts wouldn't completely consume her mind; she watched TV, read some more, and even brushed her teeth for much longer than necessary. Nothing was working. She paced her room, letting her fears run around in her head.<p>

_I can't trust Troy to keep his promise, men like Petrolli don't just let his victims go. I've seen too much, he's going to kill me, I'm pretty much screwed, oh God. I can't stay here, every day is like a fucking ticking time bomb. I need to find a way out, even if it means risking my life. I'm already risking my life just by being here, aren't I?_

Gabriella halted at that last thought, quickly walking over to the balcony and swinging open the double doors. Her eyes skimmed the vast land consisting of trees, trees, and more tall trees. However, there was land beyond the trees, way way way beyond the trees. There had to be some sort of civilization close by, there just had to. With that small glimmer of hope leading her actions, she threw her hair into a messy pony tail and speed walked over to the closet.

She quickly threw on a pair of jeans, disturbed at the fact that they fit perfectly, and a white tank top. Just in case, she also put on a blue hoodie, zipping it up half way. Then she slipped on some socks and the very convenient hiking boots and hesitantly ventured out of her bedroom.

When she made it down the stairs, she heard voices coming from the living room. She peeked in, and noticed Marco and Damien on the couch watching some basketball game on the television. She silently flicked them off before heading towards the front door. She pulled open the door, taking in the scent of pine woods and fresh air.

"Gabriella?" _Shit._ Her head snapped around to see Troy standing across the hall, apple in hand, with a confused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Troy. I'll probably get lost, but sometimes you have to take chances." Troy's wide eyes and hanging open mouth was the last thing she saw before she sprinted out the door, shutting it behind her.

**Next chapter will be much more dramatic. REVIEW. Please? :)**


	6. Unanswered Questions

**Hey guys –waves- how have you been? Sorry for not updating as fast as I'd like to have! After all, it's summer, I've been living it up. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to review! I think you guys will like this chapter…Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical.  
><strong>

Chapter 6

Unanswered Questions

She didn't even get to say goodbye. _Again_.

Sure, she informed him of her departure, but she didn't say goodbye, she didn't say all the things she had wanted to say. She didn't tell him that she missed him so much that it still hurt. She didn't tell him that she would have given anything to rewind the past two years and stop him from leaving. She didn't tell him that although he was involved in her kidnapping, it didn't change the way she felt, the way she had always felt.

She didn't tell him that she still loved him.

Tears burned Gabriella's eyes as she tried to focus on the rough terrain ahead of her. The floor of the woods consisted of a mixture of dirt and leaves, crunching below her feet as she ran. She didn't stop, she couldn't stop. She dodged tree after tree, the tears clouding her vision and her emotions threatening to get the better of her. She had lived without Troy Bolton for two years now, she could easily leave him behind. Or that's what she was trying to convince herself as she made her poorly thought out escape. The rational side of her said that she had a fiancé waiting for her at home and that's why she had to get out of there, to give herself a chance of returning to him. Troy Bolton shouldn't mean anything to her; he had left her to fend on her own. So that's what she was doing, fending for herself. Her feelings towards Troy were merely in the moment. She had seen him again, thus sparking the memories, memories that she had buried a long time ago. The feelings were from the past, nothing more. So why did seeing his face right before running away hurt so much?

"_Gabriella! Stop!_" Her head whipped around mid-sprint. As her teary eyes tried to pinpoint the origin of the voice behind her in the distance, they missed the large root sticking up from the dirt ahead of her. She yelped as her body hit the ground with a thud.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Adler, Mr. Danforth is here to see you."<p>

"Let him in." Liam Adler spun around in his desk chair, nodding to his secretary and watching as a tall African American man walked in, his unmistakable afro bouncing with each step.

"Chad, any luck?" He sat in the chair on the opposite side of the large desk, shaking his head as a frown appeared on his face. Chad Danforth was one of the best agents in the FBI. He was known for solving and leading drug busts all over the United States. However, he was quick to offer his assistance in finding Gabriella Montez, an old friend who didn't deserve to be in the danger she was probably in.

"Unfortunately, no. All we know so far is that she was taken from her New York apartment around eight o'clock on Sunday night. There are many signs of struggle; she definitely put up a fight. One of her neighbors said they saw a black SUV speed away from her apartment complex. We checked the traffic cams and a few cars with said description were seen but it's too vague to tell which one it is." Chad explained.

"I don't care, I want you to check every license plate on every car. I can't believe it's been nearly three days and you have no leads," Liam stood up, rubbing his hands over his face as he started to pace his office. "Has a ransom turned up yet? They took her because they want my money right?"

"No, nothing's turned up yet. But one will probably show up soon, that's the most likely scenario. They have no other motives, Gabriella is clean. We have monitors on all of your phones, so if they make a call, we'll know, and we can hopefully track it. But these guys seem like they know what they're doing, so I can bet they won't ask for the money by phone. I think they'll approach it another way." Chad stood up as his pager beeped, looking down at it with a sigh.

"Alright, notify me if anything turns up." Liam sat back down, Chad didn't need to have FBI experience to see how stressed out the man in front of him was. His almost black hair was messy, as if he'd run his hands through it numerous times, and the bags under his green eyes confirmed Chad's suspicion that he hadn't gotten much sleep lately.

"Will do." Chad nodded before departing, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts.

His fiancée was taken because of him, and that was eating him up inside.

* * *

><p>"Just great…freaking wonderful." Gabriella muttered as she sat up on her knees, wiping her dirty hands on her jeans and wincing as she noticed the large cut across her palm that was slowly starting to bleed.<p>

"Gabriella! What the fuck?" She looked behind her shoulder as a winded Troy swooped down beside her, placing her face in between his palms as he inspected her for damage. She swatted his hands away, standing up and holding her wounded hand.

"Dammit, Gabriella. These woods go on for miles, are you trying to kill yourself?" Troy took her hand in his, frowning as she pulled it away. He gripped his t-shirt in his hands, ripping off a strip at the bottom to wrap around her hand to stop the bleeding.

She winced as he tied it, glaring at him for sabotaging her escape. "I'd rather die trying then die thinking I never tried at all." She lifted her head up defiantly, meeting his gaze. She felt slightly self conscious as he stared at her intensely. He seemed to be having an inner battle, she suddenly had the urge to reach up her thumb and wipe away the crease in his forehead to ease his tension, like she used to, but she refrained. Instead, she looked away, reminding herself of the task at hand. She definitely didn't expect him to run after her.

"Gabriella," She looked up as he spoke, still staring at her intensely, "you have to believe that I'd never let anything or anyone hurt you. I know you don't trust me, you have every right not to, but I need you to know that I'd die in a heartbeat if it meant you wouldn't."

Tears sprang to her eyes again. She'd always felt safe with him, even when she wasn't necessarily safe, with him she always felt like she was. What right did he have saying these things to her? She didn't want to feel safe with him; she didn't want to feel anything. It would make her life so much easier if Troy Bolton meant nothing to her. But deep down inside she knew that would never happen, he'd always mean everything to her. No one had ever compared, not even her fiancé, and that made her furious. Why did he have to do this to her, when she was finally starting to move on?

"I…" She couldn't form words as she looked up into those cerulean eyes, the eyes that always made her melt. Even now, under the worst circumstances, he was still the only man that had ever made her heart beat faster and slower at the same time. Her anger suddenly faded to something else; the urge to kiss him came out of nowhere. So she acted on pure impulse.

She lifted herself up on her toes, and crashed her lips to his.

Troy was caught completely off guard as their lips fused together and the familiar electricity traveled through his body. He didn't have to think twice before kissing her back furiously, his arms wrapping around her waist to steady both of them. She slid her arms around his neck, moaning as his tongue met her own in a heated battle for dominance. She didn't even realize she had moved until her back hit a tree, caging her in. She moved her hands through his hair, relishing in the feeling that she had missed so much. In an attempt to press their bodies even closer, Troy stepped on a twig, the sound snapping Gabriella back to reality. Her eyes shot open and she pushed on Troy's chest, successfully breaking the intimate moment.

"Oh my…" She pushed past him, covering her face with her hands in shame. Shame for kissing another man who wasn't her fiancé, and shame for wishing she could do it again.

She uncovered her face, bravely glancing at Troy. He stood in front of her, hair sticking up in the sexiest way and a flustered expression on his face. His lips were still parted, just begging her to cover them with her own again. But she knew she couldn't, but oh how she wanted to. There was only one thing for her to do at a time like this.

Run.

She ran like her life depended on it, not even glancing behind her to see if Troy was following her. She didn't even know where she was going, probably getting even more lost as she passed tree by tree.

"Gabi!" She ignored him as she kept on running. She was running away from not only Petrolli and the danger that she was in by being at that house, but from Troy as well. From the way he made her feel. She was running away from the repercussions of her actions. She had kissed him, and she definitely did not want to face up to that. Not only would the conversation be awkward, but it'd be downright difficult. How could she talk to him about why she'd kissed him, without telling him she still loved him. No way in hell would she release that little piece of information.

She could just imagine how that conversation would go; _"Sorry I kissed you, I did it only because I'm still totally and madly in love with you." "Um I don't love you anymore, I left you. So can we just go back to the house so I can lock you up again?" _Talk about awkward. She would not let her emotions get the better of her, she was stronger than that. Or so she tried to convince herself. But how could she when Troy's taste still lingered in her mouth, making her want to turn around and jump into his arms once again.

She was brought out of her thoughts as she was roughly pulled back by the arm, halting her sprint and causing her to almost fall yet again. Troy wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her.

"Will you stop freaking running?" His breaths were heavy from chasing after her, but his muscle and longer legs allowed him to catch up to her easily.

"Get off me! I'll run if I wanna run thank you very much." She said immaturely, placing her hands on either side of her waist, taking deep breaths. She avoided eye contact with Troy as he suddenly swiveled around in a circle before facing her again.

"Fuck…" He muttered, placing his hands on his knees and lowering his head.

"What is it?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Look around." He kept his head down as she glanced around her, not catching his drift.

"Okay…it all looks the same. What's your point?" She said obliviously, still trying to catch her breath from her previous sprint.

"Jeez Gabriella, for someone so smart you sure are acting dumb." He stood upright, groaning as he tilted his head backwards.

"You're really going to start insulting me? I'm already on a short fuse; don't piss me off, Bolton."

"Don't use my last name. And as you already mentioned, everything looks the same. As in we're in the middle of fucking nowhere because you had to run away, yet again!" She had a feeling his words had a double meaning to them.

"Me? Don't even get me started you asswhole!" She fumed, her frustration from her emotions and her fear of being lost making a bad combination.

"Well do you know the way back? Oh wait, I remember. We passed a tree, than another one," he started pointing to the nearest trees hysterically, "oh look, there's a tree, and there's another one. But wait a minute, we're in the woods. Which means there are lots of trees, probably hundreds! That narrows it down. Congratulations Gabriella, you've successfully gotten us lost." If she was going to play hard ball, he would not cease to reciprocate.

"This is my fault? We wouldn't be in this situation if I wasn't taken from my home against my will in the first place! We wouldn't be here if you hadn't left me two years ago!" She spat out without thinking, wavering a little before recomposing herself and holding her stubborn stance.

"I had to!" If he was fazed by her retort, he didn't comment on it, instead continuing with the argument.

"You had to break my heart? Well that's just dandy!" She replied, missing the wave of guilt that washed past Troy's face momentarily.

"I did it to protect you, Gabriella. You have no idea how hard it was for me." His voice lowered as his anger simmered down.

"Protect me from what? And don't tell me I have no idea, I wa-I was a wreck after you left." Her voice cracked, her anger suddenly forgotten.

"I'm sorry." He avoided her question, taking a step toward her as he noticed her defensive composure soften.

"Please, Troy. I need to know. Why did you leave? What were you trying to protect me from?" She didn't let him evade the inevitable, she needed answers. And what better time to seek answers then when you were alone in the middle of the woods?

He remained silent for a few seconds, pondering her question as he gazed at her intently.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything."

**Liked it? Loved it? REVIEW. :)**


	7. Lost but Finally Found

**Hello! Sorry for the wait, a week isn't that bad though right? This chapter is going to reveal what you all have been waiting to know, the reason for pretty much everything. There won't be much of anything else, I wanted to make Troy's explanation a full chapter because there's a lot to cover, but next chapter, more will happen. I'm sorry in advance if it's confusing or it just plain sucks, feel free to let me know. Enjoy!**

"_Please, Troy. I need to know. Why did you leave? What were you trying to protect me from?" She didn't let him evade the inevitable, she needed answers. And what better time to seek answers then when you were alone in the middle of the woods?_

_He remained silent for a few seconds, pondering her question as he gazed at her intently._

"_Alright, I'll tell you everything."_

Chapter 7

Lost but Finally Found

This was it. This was the moment she'd finally find out the reason for his disappearance, the reason why he left. She stared at him surprised and scared at the same time. Could she handle the truth?

"I finally decide to tell you everything and you're speechless…wow, not the reaction I was expecting." Troy supplied.

"I-I don't know what to say." She finally got out, biting her lip in nervousness.

"Then don't say anything, just listen." He sat down on a nearby fallen tree trunk, running his hands through his hair. How did he even start?

"It began in Albuquerque, my hometown." She slowly approached him, sitting down beside him.

He sighed but continued, knowing that what he was about to say would change the way she saw him, and not in a good way. "I was a sophomore in college and hadn't yet chosen a major. I was completely lost on what I wanted to do with my life, so I spent most of my time playing basketball, running, keeping busy somehow. I didn't care about where I went…after my dad died during my freshmen year at the University of Albuquerque, I didn't care so much. I stayed in school for my mom, taking general classes that I didn't find interesting in the least bit. I was a perfect candidate for the FBI; The Federal Bureau of Investigation."

She placed a comforting hand on his arm at the mention of his father, but gasped at his last words. He was in the FBI?

"The director of the FBI approached me one day right after I'd gotten out of a boring English course. He gave me his card and convinced me to come into his office one day, so out of curiosity, I did. Apparently, my father was in the FBI. He was one of the best, and I had no idea. None of us had any idea, except my mom. They lied to me and my sister our whole lives." His eyes distanced, remembering the way he'd felt upon realizing everything he knew about his father was a lie.

"Troy, if this is too hard…" Gabriella spoke, noting his faraway look and realizing how difficult reliving his past must be.

"No, it's time you knew, you deserve to know." He looked at her, taking a deep breath and willing himself to continue. "The director, Paul, he told me that he'd been watching me, he came all the way from New York to talk to me, apparently the building we were in was a smaller branch of the FBI and the office wasn't his, it was temporary. He said that he wanted me to come to New York and fulfill my potential. He said that I was a lot like my father and that if I wanted to be, I could follow in his footsteps. I was furious, I didn't want anything to do with my father's double identity, as far as I was concerned he was a liar. I stormed out of the office, deciding that I'd never return and that I'd never become like my father. That was until I found the letter…" He paused, looking away deep in thought.

"What letter?" She asked cautiously, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"The letter my father left me to read after he died. It was in a lock box in his office at home. My mom gave it to me, it had my name on it. I didn't read it for days, but when I finally opened it, the truth that I was looking for was written out in front of me. He told me about his job, his _real_ job. Everything clicked; why he made me take karate classes, why he'd make sure I wasn't naïve about the world around me, why he constantly told me, 'never trust anyone you don't love.' He wanted to make sure I was prepared for anything. He said he was sorry for lying and that he didn't want for me what he had. He wanted me to have a normal, safe life. And of course, as soon as I found out he didn't want me involved with the FBI, I joined. I was still very angry at him for keeping that monster of a secret, and also because I felt obligated, somehow. So I moved to New York, where one of the main FBI branches is. Also, to please my mom, Paul pulled some strings so I could attend NYU, where I met you. I trained, learned everything about the business…and I enjoyed it. I finally felt like I was doing something that I was good at, and I was meant to do."

"But I thought you were an accountant…" She hugged her arms to her body, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, and a little betrayed.

"No, I was never an accountant. It was my cover. There are basically two types of FBI agents, Gabriella. There are the kind that work behind a desk, putting the pieces together patiently, and those who work in the field, finding the bad guys. I was never one to be patient." He tried to explain in a way she'd understand, regret filling him as he watched her detached countenance.

"So all this time, you lied to me? Just like your father lied to you?" She looked up at him.

"There's not a day I don't regret it." His head lowered dejectedly.

"But that doesn't explain why you left…" She realized, watching as he winced.

"When I met you…everything changed. I suddenly had something to lose. A month before I left, Paul briefed me on a major case, that of Hector Petrolli." Her head snapped up and she gasped, realization suddenly dawning on her.

Troy looked at her knowingly before continuing, "It had been rumored that he was behind numerous drug transactions and other crimes all around the world, but no one could get any proof. All the agents who'd been placed on his case either returned unsuccessful or never returned at all, turning up dead or disappeared all together. Paul wanted me to go undercover for a while, to gain his trust. My first thought was you. I immediately started to turn down the job, because I couldn't leave you. That was until he told me that Petrolli might have had something to do with my father's death."

Gabriella's jaw dropped, the array of information making her head spin.

"Apparently, my father was tracking Petrolli and his _business deals_. After figuring that out, I was torn. I wanted to avenge my father, I wanted to bring down the man that was so good at staying up. So after much debate with myself, I decided I had to take the job; letting someone else take it would feel wrong. But then there was you, Gabriella." He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"I knew that if I took the job, I would lose you. If I took the job as a right hand man to Petrolli but still had you in my life, it put you in danger. If they ever found out I was an undercover agent, they'd not only kill me, but they'd go after you, and I couldn't take that risk. I thought about telling you why I was leaving, I thought about telling you everything, but then decided not to because you'd only worry. I didn't know how long the job would be, but I knew you'd be waiting, and I didn't want that for you. I didn't want you putting your life on hold for me. I thought you'd be better off just letting me go and moving on…so I pushed you away, I acted like a jerk, to make things not only easier for you, but for me. I didn't want you to hurt when I left, and I thought picking fights would make it hurt less for me too. But I should have known nothing would lessen the blow. You were my everything, Gabi. I loved you so much…I still do."

Her eyes filled with tears at his admission. She'd been yearning to hear him say those words for years, and now that he had, she had no idea how to react.

"Troy, I-

"Gabi, leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You deserve better, you deserve to be with someone like Liam, who can give you everything I never could." He cut her off, not waiting to hear what she had to say. He already had a vague idea, _"Troy, you left me. I don't love you anymore, I love Liam. My perfect, rich, slick haired boyfriend who doesn't own anything else but freaking suits."_ Okay so maybe the last part wasn't realistic, but he couldn't bear the let down. Gabriella Montez had been in his thoughts and heart the whole two years he'd been away. He'd been pretending that maybe she missed him as much as he missed her, and hearing her say she didn't feel the same would crush his hopes. He decided he'd say what he had to say, then remain blissfully unaware of reality. The reality that involved the love of his life not loving him anymore.

She stared at the ground, trying to process everything. She decided to address the Liam situation later, and backtrack.

"I'm sorry about your father." She remained staring at the ground.

"I never understood why he lied to us until you came along." Troy turned towards her.

"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"He hid it from me and Jessica, to protect us. I hid it from you, to protect you." He supplied, trying to get her to understand.

Suddenly, she stood up, Troy following after her shortly.

"But you didn't have to hide it from me, Troy. You thought by not telling me, I wouldn't worry. I still worried. I worried about you every day and every night, even after I met Liam. And although it was a risk, it was my risk to take. You had no right making that decision for me. I wouldn't have put my life on hold either because you were my life, or at least a major part of it. I would have waited forever. That's how much I love you." That's all she said before turning away from him and walking in a random direction, arms wrapped around her body tightly.

Although it was the worst possible moment to smile, Troy could feel the corners of his lips turning up.

"_That's how much I love you." _She didn't use the past tense.

**There you go! Hope everything makes sense, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in a REVIEW. :)**


	8. Not So Bad

**Hello! So it's been a little over a week, just a heads up…updates will be getting a little late. School literally just started yesterday and it's going to swamp me. But I won't just give up on this, I'll finish it gradually, just be patient please. Thank you oh so much, love you all.**

Chapter 8

Not So Bad

"Mr. Danforth, we found something."

Chad placed the walkie talkie to the front of his mouth, speaking into it with a response, "be there in a minute." He pushed off his car, walking towards the front of the apartment complex. He looked at the call pad with all of the resident's last names on it, skimming it until his eyes landed on what he was looking for. _Montez_. He decided to take the stairs, reaching the third floor and immediately spotting the door, wide open with a broken lock and yellow caution tape across it.

"Yo Chad, over here." His colleague called to him, gloves covering his hands which were holding a plastic bag.

"Hey Jeff, what'd you find?" He glanced down at the bag, his eyebrows creasing in curiosity.

"A cigar, it hasn't been lit. But not just any cigar, I'm pretty sure they're imported from South America by the cursive label on it. They're very expensive, and very hard to get. Unless the girl is a hard core smoker with connections, then I think we got something." Chad took the plastic bag, lifting it to eye level before examining the fancy looking lung killer. He got a sudden sense of déjà vu, but couldn't pinpoint why.

"Great, get these to the agency right away. I want a full background check on them and an exact location on where they're shipped from." Chad replied, handing the bag back. "Did you find anything else?"

"No, besides these cigars, the kidnappers were very thorough in making sure they weren't tracked." Jeff handed the bag to another man, mumbling something to him quickly before turning back to Chad.

"Well let's make sure they weren't thorough enough. We're going to get Gabriella back. Besides, I'm sure the bastard who did this is somewhere out there missing his precious cigar." Jeff nodded, patting him on the back before leaving Chad alone to walk over to the side table near the foyer.

He skimmed the few picture frames, his eyes landing on one that seemed to be hiding behind the others. He moved aside the others, picking it up slowly. He sighed, the picture was of Gabriella and her then boyfriend, who also happened to be Chad's best friend. That is until he walked out on them both, disappearing to God knows where. He was on the force with Chad, that's how they met, and that's how Chad was introduced to Gabriella. Of course, she knew him as Troy's friend from work, which was the accounting firm to her. He hated lying to her, just as much as Troy hated it. She was like a sister to him, and ever since Troy left, he felt like it was his job to protect her.

He frowned, he had failed her. He had failed them both. Although Troy had left, he knew that he would have wanted Chad to look after her, and he couldn't even do that. But Chad was determined to get her back, and that's what he'd do, for Troy.

"God Troy, where are you when I need you man." He muttered to the image of his former best friend in the frame as he put it back down where it belonged.

* * *

><p>"Troy, shut the fuck up!"<p>

"I will when you learn to!"

"That's just great coming from you. Oh wait, actually it's just arrogant, egotistical, and a little bit assholey."

"Assholey's not even a word…and they gave you permission to teach. Hah." He almost knocked her over as she suddenly stopped, his chest colliding with her back.

"I'm not speaking to you until we get out of here." She crossed her arms, flicking a look at him over her shoulder.

"Fine by me." He stepped in front of her, taking the lead. He looked around him, the quietness of the wilderness making him uneasy as he followed his gut and started walking, keeping his trained ears peeled for any sign of danger and looking back every minute to make sure Gabriella was still close behind.

* * *

><p>"Liam, we got a lead. A small one, but still helpful." Chad spoke urgently into the phone.<p>

"Good, what've you got?" Liam replied, now in the confines of his home, his very large home.

"A very expensive cigar imported from somewhere in South America." He got into his car, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he skillfully pulled out of the parking lot of the apartment complex.

"A cigar…was it dark brown with small cursive black letters near the bottom of it?"

"Actually yes it was. How did you-"

"Chad, you need to find her immediately." He spoke in a deadly stern tone, the breath knocked out of him at his realization.

"Why? What's wrong?" He stopped at a traffic light, his eyebrows creasing in curiosity.

"I know who's got her."

* * *

><p>The sun was setting, the night was approaching, and they could both feel the goose bumps on their skin rise as the air chilled. With the tall trees over head, the woods would be unmanageably dark. They were running out of time.<p>

"Troy…" Gabriella whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself as she stopped walking, frantically looking around. He halted, turning around and frowning in worry at her countenance. She looked scared, and he never liked it when she was scared. It was such a waste of her beautiful smile. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" He walked so he was standing in front of her, cocking his head to the side cutely.

"For getting us lost. I shouldn't have run, I was so stupid." She looked down in regret.

"Hey, look at me," he pushed her chin up with his finger, "it's not your fault. I didn't mean what I said, you were just scared and trying to fight back. I always prided in the fact that you were a fighter. I'm sorry too, you're certainly not stupid, you're one of the smartest women I know." She smiled, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to create some heat, then frowning upon noticing that Troy only had a t-shirt on whilst she at least had a zip up. A pang of guilt hit her again; he wouldn't even be in this situation if it weren't for her.

"Thank you. But what are we going to do? It's going to get really dark and cold and you're only in a t-shirt." She moved her hands so they were rubbing up and down his arms, trying to get rid of the goose bumps, unaware of the effect that she was having on him.

Troy coughed uncomfortably, deciding that now was definitely not the right time and place for him to be having _those_ thoughts. "I'll be fine, I've been in worse. You're the one we need to worry about; All those times I could have sworn you were cold blooded because you got so cold so easily." He reminisced, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she shivered slightly, tucking her into the crook of his arm as they began walking at a slow pace, both unaware of their very similar thoughts.

Maybe being lost in the middle of the dark, cold woods wasn't so bad after all.

**Okay, so this is the last chapter of Troy and Gabi in the woods, just so you know that I'm not going to keep stalling haha. REVIEW please :)**


	9. Enough is Enough

**-Slaps self- I AM SO SORRY. You can't even fathom how unbelievably sorry I am for posting this so late. It's my junior year of high school and everything is just so hard, I haven't been able to keep up with school work yet alone Fanfiction. I'll try and update as much as possible, but for now you guys are just going to have to work with me. Please and thank you. Special thanks to those of you who haven't given up on this, and those of you who have, I understand.**

**Okay, I'll shut up now. You all have waited long enough. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

Enough is Enough**  
><strong>

There was a light, a dim light she could vaguely spot in the distance. Or maybe it wasn't that dim, she couldn't tell as her eyes were so used to squinting in the dark. A chill ran up her spine, causing the strong arms around her to tighten. The light moved, and Troy halted, confirming her suspicion that he had seen it too.

"What is that?" She spoke meekly, her fatigue overcoming her.

"I don't know." His voice however was so strong. She was amazed at his ability to keep his composure so sure and confident. But she knew he was only doing it for her sake. Someone had to keep cool due to their circumstances. She gripped Troy tighter as a distant buzzing noise caught her ears.

Suddenly, the light darted towards them and the noise became louder, both of their eyes widening. They took a step back, but to no avail. The spotlight landed on them, and as they squinted up into the cover of the trees, realization dawned on them both.

A helicopter.

* * *

><p>"Boen, what the fuck were you thinking?"<p>

"Sir, I wasn't thinking. I just ran after her and then we both got lost. The bitch caught me off guard, I couldn't let her escape." Troy didn't have to look at Gabriella to know his words had hurt her, but he had to remember who he was at the moment. If he wasn't convincing, then both him and Gabriella could end up in deep, deep trouble.

"I guess I'm glad you were with her, you had some balls unlike these two idiots who were too scared to step into the fucking woods and look for you two." Petrolli snarled at Marco and Damien, their heads lowered in embarrassment. "We can't afford another slip up, using that helicopter was too risky, but necessary. So from now on, she'll be locked in her room at all times, with one of my men guarding her bedroom door on shifts. She'll only be allowed out to eat, which will only be dinner-"

"You're going to lock me up and only feed me once a day?" She finally spoke up. Petrolli's venomous gaze landed on her, causing her to squirm in the clutches of Marco. He walked towards her, stopping mere inches away.

"Do you understand the trouble you've caused me because of your little stunt, Beauty?" He stood firm, watching her intently.

"Do you understand the immensity of the fuck I'm not giving?" She didn't even have time to appreciate her snarky comeback as a hand made contact with her face brutally, forcefully prying her from the grips of Marco and causing her to land on the floor with a thud.

She lifted herself onto her knees, touching her cheek only to pull away quickly as a sharp pain elicited at the contact. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as they jolted to meet Troy's. She was surprised to see that his expression was of pure anger, his fists were balled up and his stance was ready to pounce. But he hadn't moved, he hadn't stopped Petrolli from hurting her. He had broken his promise. She couldn't blame him though, it was his job.

Her hurt expression didn't go unnoticed by Troy, whose immediate angered response had turned into shame. She had expected him to protect her, and he had let her down yet again.

Unaware of the thoughts erupting in both Troy and Gabriella's minds, Petrolli pulled her up by her arm, speaking into her ear vehemently.

"Show some respect, Beauty, or you won't even get dinner."

She whimpered, nodding vigorously as her willpower to keep strong was slowly fading.

"Damien, set up the camera. We're going to do it now." Petrolli shoved Gabriella towards Marco, nodding at Troy then walking into the living room.

Marco pushed her along, setting her down on an armchair with a camera placed in front of it.

"When I say so, you're going to speak clearly to the camera. You will read off the queue cards that Marco will hold up, understand?" Petrolli didn't wait for her to respond, sitting down on the couch and nodding again at Marco and Damien.

Damien started the camera, whilst Marco stood next to him and held up the first card. "Now, Beauty."

She looked up at the card in Marco's hand, tears running down her cheeks as the intensity of the situation sank in. "Now!" He yelled again, causing her to jump in her seat and hesitantly repeat the words in front of her.

"Li-Liam, it's me Gabriella," she glanced at Troy who was leaning against the doorframe, head down and hands in his pockets. "I'm safe…."

But of course, even with Troy standing a mere few feet away, she didn't feel safe at all.

* * *

><p><em>Knock knock<em>

She remained staring at the ceiling, too lost in thought to acknowledge the presence of someone outside her door, until the doorknob turned and the person entered.

"I just knocked out of politeness; I have a key you know." He tried to lighten the mood.

"Doesn't matter anyways, it's not like I could have opened it for you." She said, regarding the fact that it was locked. She grimaced as she sat up, feeling the irony. She was a prisoner, but she was lying on a comfortable duvet. Oh no, not strange at all.

"I'm sorry." At his words, her eyes lifted to meet his, but his head was lowered in shame. He looked so vulnerable, standing there with his hands in his pockets. Her eyes softened as she stood up from the bed, moving towards him cautiously.

"I understand, Troy." She resisted the urge to lift his chin.

"No Gabriella, I'm _sorry_. For everything. For speaking of you in that way to Petrolli. For letting him lay even one finger on you, for having to be a part of this at all. I'm sorry for leaving you two years ago. Maybe if I hadn't have left, you wouldn't be in this situation because you wouldn't have even met Liam. It's all my fault, everything. I don't want you to blame yourself for anything, because you don't deserve it. I never want you to feel the regret I feel every day."

"Troy, stop apologizing," he finally looked up at her, "none of it is your fault either, don't you see that? You didn't choose the job, the job chose you. You didn't choose to leave me, you had to, for your father." She replied, her eyes willing him to believe her. "Look, we'll get through this. Eventually, we'll get out of here, and then everything will be fine."

"What happens when we get out of here?" He asked, knowing that she would never say what he so badly wanted to hear.

"I guess…we'll go our separate ways." It was her turn to look away, knowing that she wouldn't have been able to say that if she was looking into his hypnotizing pools of blue.

"Right…you wouldn't want to miss your own wedding." He looked away as well, glancing down at the large diamond ring resting on her left hand.

The silence that followed was almost paining for them both. Troy shifted awkwardly, clearing his throat before speaking again.

"Well, um, I'm going to be bringing you up food in the mornings and afternoons, I'm not going to let you starve. You're so skinny as it is, one meal a day won't suffice." He tried to fake a smile.

"Thank you." She smiled meekly back, turning her back on him and heading back towards the bed.

"Goodnight, Gabriella."

"Goodnight." He went to leave, but she stopped him once more. "Wait, Troy," He turned towards her before opening the door.

"Call me Gabi." Three simple words. However, both Troy and Gabriella knew they meant so much more. She was beginning to trust him again, and for now, that was enough.

**Okay so that probably wasn't worth the obnoxiously long wait, so sorry! I know I don't deserve them, but please review!**


	10. Beauty and the Beast

**Alright, I will firstly apologize for such a long wait. However, my excuse is valid. It seems I've lost my muse for this story, maybe because I'm so busy or maybe due to the lack of reviews but overall, I'm sorry if I've disappointed anybody. I appreciate those of you who have thoroughly supported me, I'll try to keep updating, but no promises.**

**And now, finally.**

Chapter 10

Beauty and the Beast

No, no, no. This was a sick joke. They have got to be joking. This could not be happening. As if her life couldn't get any worse.

"It's just a dress, Gabriella."

"No, Troy. It's not just a dress. It's a fucking ball gown. Over my dead body am I wearing that atrocious thing." She crossed her arms in indignation, looking at the garment in disgust.

"Yah well that might be the case if you don't put this on and come to dinner. Petrolli's really on edge after your stunt. To him, this is your punishment. There are no second chances here, Gabriella. Please just play it safe. For me." Troy pleaded, placing the dress on her bed as he worked his magic on her lack of will power.

"Fine, but give me a few minutes. I'm going to need a freaking crane to put that thing on." She sighed, deciding that she already risked her life enough for one day.

She watched him leave her room, glancing back once before closing the door. She plopped onto the bed with a huff, grimacing at the yellow and gold gown that seemed to be taunting her. If this was her punishment for running away, she'd never run away again.

"Beauty! Get your ass down here in five minutes or you'll be sleeping outside tonight!" Petrolli scowled as he sat down at the head of the dining room table, sending warning looks to the three other men occupying it; Troy, Damien, and Marco.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, _Hector_." All heads snapped up at the presence of her voice. She was standing at the bottom of the staircase, hesitant upon entering the dining room. None could deny she looked absolutely stunning, albeit a little out of place. Her hair was in a lazy up do, with a few curly strands let loose. Her dress was floor length and seemed to glow along with her skin, the tone brought out by the rich color of the fabric. She didn't bother with much makeup, only applying a little bit of eyeliner to her eyes and clear gloss to her lips. If she was being honest, the only reason she even attempted to look somewhat nice was because of one sole occupant of the dinner table, who was currently staring at the woman before him with wide eyes.

"My my Beauty, you clean up rather nice." Petrolli stood from his chair like a gentleman, which only disgusted Gabriella further.

"Why thank you. You clean up rather…grotesque. If I do say so myself." She smiled as she straightened her shoulders and walked into the dining room, taking the empty seat to the right of Petrolli, and directly in front of Troy. She, however, failed to notice the man on the other side of her; Marco. Upon noticing, she immediately cursed her seating choice. However, the only other choice was the other head of the table opposite Petrolli. That would just feel uncomfortable, so she settled. At least she was comforted by Troy being in direct eye contact.

"Always so feisty, doesn't it get tiring?" Petrolli seemed unfazed, picking up the tablecloth under his silverware setting and placing it on his lap.

"Nope, I rather enjoy it actually." Only then did she look up at Troy, who was smirking in amusement whilst still staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. She looked away quickly, feeling a blush coming to her cheeks. "So may I ask, why in the hell did you make me wear this flamboyant…thing?"

"You have a very vast vocabulary Mrs. Adler." Petrolli evaded her question, raising his arm in a signal. Damien, who was sitting next to Troy, and Marco immediately shot up, walking into the kitchen obediently.

"My name is Gabriella _Montez_. And you still haven't answered my question." She seethed, pretending not to notice the way Troy's smirk turned into a subtle smile at her correction.

"You are my Beauty. You must look beautiful. It's rather ironic actually, Beauty…and the Beast." Petrolli raised his eyebrows suggestively at her, causing her scowl to deepen.

"Have you ever seen the movie? The Beast is actually a good man, which you are not." She glanced up as Marco and Damien returned with plates of food balanced skillfully in their arms. Marco placed one in front of Gabriella, leaning in a little too close for her liking.

"I don't believe that, Beauty. Once a beast, always a beast." He replied, immediately tucking into his food as it was placed in front of him.

"That's where you're wrong. People can change." She looked up at Troy, his smile now gone, replaced with a curious frown.

Petrolli didn't reply as he ravenously ate his dinner. Gabriella looked down at her plate, her stomach grumbling at the sight of the meal; steaming white rice with a chicken breast and mixed vegetables. She reluctantly picked up her fork, eating tentatively as she attempted to ignore the different looks she knew she was getting from the different people at the table.

Just when she thought she might get through this dinner after all, she felt a foot slide down her calf and tussle her foot. She jerked instinctively, dropping her fork onto her plate and turned her head to scowl at Marco. All eyes were on her now.

"You disgusting pig!" She stood from the table, slamming her hands on the table incredulously.

"What?" Marco smirked back, pretending to be oblivious.

"You're seriously trying to play footsies with me? Are you insane, or maybe just a freaking pervert?" She tried to slap him in the face, but was stopped by his trained reflexes. She squirmed as his strong hand held tightly to her wrist, forcing her to sit back down. He let go then turned to apologize to his boss.

Gabriella whipped her head to face Troy, who was half standing up, ready to step in if necessary. She watched as he sat back down hesitantly, sending her a worried look before placing his attention on Petrolli. She glanced over at Marco again, to make sure he was a good distance away from her.

"Hector, no!" Troy launched out of his seat hysterically. Before Gabriella could process what was going on, a gunshot was fired.

**Alright, so I hope you liked it. I know it wasn't very interesting, up until the end at least, but it's all I've got right now so bare with me. I'll try and update as soon as possible, but can only guarantee one if I get at least 10 reviews please.**

**10 reviews?**


	11. From Bad to Worse

**Not even going to comment on how long it took me to update this…about four months? SORRY SORRY SORRY. Okay I'll just get to it because I'm sure after waiting this long you just want to know what happens next so without further adieu…**

Chapter 11

From Bad to Worse

She couldn't feel herself breathing as the whole world, the whole universe, stopped. The room was quiet; the only sound was the gurgling of blood.

"Damien, take care of it." She willed her eyes to open as she heard Petrolli speak.

The second her brown orbs revealed themselves she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She kept her eyes on Troy right across from her, sitting in his chair with a blank look on his face. Troy was safe. He wasn't shot.

So who was?

Gabriella's hand shot up to her cheek, feeling the liquid substance on her face. She brought her hand back down to examine it. Blood. The whole room started to spin as her body finally let her look around and take in her surroundings. Damien was dragging away Marco's body, motionless and lifeless. She'd never seen a dead body before, let alone witnessed a murder. She couldn't feel her limbs, she couldn't will her lungs to work. Oh God, this wasn't happening. She couldn't be here. She couldn't have a man's splattered blood on her face. She had to get out of there.

Gabriella tried to keep her balance as she shoved her chair back, tripping in the process. She was going to throw up. She staggered towards the front door, but an arm looped around her waist before she could pull it open and run into the fresh air.

"Shh Gabi, I'm here. I've got you." A voice whispered in her ear. Troy cradled her to his chest, putting one arm under her knees to lift her up before turning towards the stairs.

"Take her to her room. Lock the door." Petrolli's voice sounded from the dining room, she could vaguely see the outline of his back facing her from behind Troy's shoulder. He hadn't moved an inch; he was still sitting at the table eating his dinner as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just taken a man's life.

Troy briskly carried her up the stairs, pushing her bedroom door open and setting her on the end of the bed. He knelt down on the floor in front of her and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away the silent tears and the remnants of blood that stained her cheeks a rosier shade then they usually were. She was in a trance, unable to come back to the real world as the realization of what just happened failed to sink in.

"Gabi, say something, anything, you're scaring me." Troy pleaded. When she didn't respond, he urgently went into her bathroom to retrieve a wet towel. He returned to find her with the same dull expression on her face. He gently wiped the blood off of her face, dropping his hand when she finally made eye contact with him.

"Troy," she murmured. Before she could say more, she erupted into sobs, placing her face in her hands as her body violently shook. She felt utterly guilty, Marco had died because of her.

"Shh Gabi it's going to be alright. You're going to be alright." Troy held her tightly as she wept into his shoulder, keeping his ears peeled for the sound of any approaching footsteps.

"It's my fault...All my fault." She said in between sobs, clutching Troy's shoulder and staining his shirt with her tears.

"Shh no it's not. You did nothing wrong. It's not your fault, Gabi, I promise."

* * *

><p>"Just remember to stay rational after seeing this and let us handle it, don't go doing anything stupid." Chad held his finger over the play button, waiting for a queue from Liam to start the video they'd just received.<p>

"Just play it." Liam kept his eyes glued to the screen, silently praying that what he was about to see wouldn't be what he feared.

"Li-Liam, it's me Gabriella, I'm safe. For now. I've been kidnapped and taken to a place where I won't be found. The men who have taken me, they've agreed to release me on one condition. You must…" Gabriella's eyes widened in the video, her head turned towards something to her right, but whatever she was looking at must have shut her up because she quickly looked back into the camera and continued. "You must wire seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars into an account. The account information will be enclosed with this video." Liam frowned, over half a million dollars? Jesus.

"If you do not succeed, I will…" Gabriella gasped, tears welling in her eyes.

"I will be de-dead. You have two weeks to save my life." The screen went black. Liam stared at it as Gabriella's fear stained face remained ingrained in his mind. He wished the video was longer, he hadn't expected it to seem so…quick?

Liam was speechless, thoughts and questions were running around frantically in his head. How the hell was he supposed to get over half a million dollars in two weeks, that would put a major dent in his profits. He had pride, he wouldn't just hand over his life's work to a greedy criminal…But Gabriella's life was at stake. He didn't have a choice. Did he?

* * *

><p>It was ruined. The beautiful golden yellow fabric was no longer immaculate as the spray of red dots on the right side of the dress provided a stark contrast. The innocent dress was now tainted, along with the woman who wore it last. Upon witnessing the death of a man, something in her snapped. She lost her fight the second the bullet pierced Marco's chest. She was going to die. And if she didn't die, she'd surely never be the same again.<p>

Gabriella sighed as she laid the dress in the corner of her closet, hiding it away in order to avoid reliving the horrifying experience. She grabbed the blanket off her bed and sat down in the chair on the balcony, pulling the blanket tighter around her as someone walked into her room quietly.

"Here, eat this it'll make you feel better." Troy's soft voice said as he held out a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on it. She glanced at it before shaking her head; she would throw it up anyways.

"Gabriella, you look pale. Please eat something." Troy said sternly.

"How could you just sit there and let him die?" She finally spoke, tilting her head up to look him in the eye.

Troy looked away ashamed, setting the plate on the floor beside her before leaning against the door frame. "What did you expect me to do Gabriella?"

"I expected you to do something. If you're the good guy, then why didn't you do something?" She said more forcefully this time.

"I tried to stop him, but I didn't reach him in time. If I reacted strongly he would have questioned my loyalty. He would have shot me too." Troy said calmly, looking down at his hands.

"You're a coward." She spat at him suddenly, causing his head to snap up and his cerulean eyes to turn a shade darker.

"Listen to me Gabriella, if Petrolli finds out who I really am then not only am I dead, but you will be too. He'll discover the connection and kill us both. If he kills me, you'd be alone to fend for yourself and that is not a risk I am willing to take. If you weren't in the equation I wouldn't hesitate for a second to take him out, regardless of what would happen to me. I stopped caring about whether I lived or died the second I stepped out of our apartment. I'm the only one here who cares if you're breathing, so yes I'm going to fucking keep quiet and play along if it means you're safe. Understand?" He was fuming. His fists were clenched to his sides and his jaw was tightened as he looked down at Gabriella who stared up at him with wide eyes.

She finally teared her eyes away from him, looking down at her hands and slumping in her chair. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you're in as much of a hole as I am." She sighed in resignation.

Troy was quiet for the following few minutes, regaining his calm composure and silently contemplating a way to word the thoughts that were running around his head the second Gabriella had reappeared in his life.

"Are you happy?" He spoke quietly, waiting for her to look at him.

She didn't move, not wanting to risk him seeing the stupefied look on her face. Her long dark hair covered her expression as she attempted to reply.

"I am," She finally said, still not looking up. Troy looked down at his feet as his heart and his head battled for domination. On one hand, he was glad that she was happy; it's what he always wanted. But on the other hand, he felt completely broken. She was happy with a man that was not him. "But no matter what I do and no matter how good Liam is to me, I always end up feeling like there's something missing." She said it so quietly, as if she was realizing it for the first time.

"What do you think is missing?" Troy replied just as quietly, shifting so his arm was leaning on the door frame now instead of his back.

Gabriella finally looked up at him, her eyes revealing so much more than she intended. "I don't know, Troy."

Before another word could be said, there were footsteps heard outside her bedroom door. Troy and Gabriella exchanged a panicked look as a key was inserted into the doorknob. Troy jumped into action, swinging himself over the balcony and taking hold of the closest tree branch he could manage. As the person opened the door, Troy lowered himself down the tree and hid himself in the shadows it provided.

"Why wasn't the door locked?" Damien walked towards Gabriella skeptically, who had picked up her book from under the chair and opened it to a random page, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.

"I don't know? The other guy must have forgotten to lock it. What do you want?" She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine as she felt Damien's eyes on her.

"I just wanted to tell you something."

"And what's tha-

Before she could turn her head, Damien's hands were around her throat as he pulled her out of the chair and roughly shoved her against the banister.

"Marco was my friend. He was like a brother to me. He's dead because of you!" She squirmed against him, trying desperately to break loose from his grip. She wanted to scream, but simply breathing while his hands were tightening around her neck was a struggle.

"Now, if you pull another stunt like that or screw _me_ over with the boss then I won't have any problem killing you." His accent and the lack of air coming into her lungs made it hard for her to understand him but she nodded her head anyways, causing him to loosen his grip.

"If you…if you hurt me…Petrolli will kill you too." She said between breaths, shoving him away from her.

"Oh no, it will be easy. All I have to tell him is you ran into the woods again and when your body isn't found it won't be much of a surprise, those woods can chew a little girl like you up and spit 'em out easily." He threatened.

"I'm not afraid of you." She looked him directly in the eye.

"Damien, what are you doing in here?" Troy barged into the room, his hair tousled and his eyes darting back and forth between the two people on the balcony.

Gabriella had never been so relieved. How did he get down the tree and back up to the room so fast? She mused. Oh well, it didn't matter as long as he was here now.

"I was just making sure she hadn't tried to escape again, sorry." And with that, Damien walked towards the exit, shooting one final warning glance to Gabriella before shutting the door behind him.

"Are you alright? I got here as fast as possible." Troy stepped towards a steady Gabriella.

"I'm fine." She replied, walking into the bedroom and sitting down on the end of the bed. She was both reassured and curious about the fact that Damien seemed to be afraid of Troy. "Can I ask you a question?"

Troy nodded, quickly taking a look outside the door to make sure no one was listening before closing it and sitting down on the bed beside Gabriella.

"If you work for the FBI, why can't you just tell them where we are? Then they can bring the swap team or whatever and get us out of here. They can finally arrest Petrolli and Liam won't have to pay a penny for my release."

"First of all, it's the swat team, not the swap team. Second, Petrolli is a pretty notorious criminal Gabriella. He picked this location for a reason. The one communication device I smuggled in here with me doesn't work. Somehow, Petrolli's found a way to block all signals from this house." He explained to her, running his hands through his already messy hair.

"But since you've been undercover for a while, and you knew Petrolli kidnapped me, the FBI must know Petrolli has me right?" She whispered instinctively.

"Yes, the FBI knows. But the police don't, so neither does your fiancé. It would compromise the mission. You see, when an agent goes undercover, only a very limited amount of people know about it. I couldn't even tell Chad."

"Wait, Chad knows about you?!" She sprang up, eyes emblazoned.

Troy winced at his slip up, "Well…he's kinda in the FBI too."

"WHAT?" Gabriella was unbelievably livid as she paced the room. How could they both lie to her for so long?

"Gabi, you have to understand…" He stood up as well, following Gabriella's frantic form with his remorse filled eyes.

"I do, Troy, I really do. Two people I thought I could without a doubt trust were lying to me. Don't worry Troy, I get it." She tried to understand, she really did, but the double betrayal stung, and she couldn't ignore the fact that they lied to her face for so long. It felt as if her whole life upon meeting Troy had been a façade.

"It's not like that Gabi, it was for your own protection. Knowing would only put you in danger and place a burden on your shoulders." He tried to reason.

"Please leave, Troy. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I understand, I really do. It just hurts is all." She sat back down on the bed, pulling her knees to her chest.

"I'm sorry." He whispered before placing a kiss on the top of her head and quietly exiting the room.

Gabriella had so many thoughts swirling around in her head. How could they lie to her so easily? Did they not think she could handle the truth? Why did she get butterflies in her stomach when Troy kissed her head just now? Why wasn't she more afraid of not being found? Damn Troy for coming back into her life so unexpectedly and making her doubt everything she knew. She was going to marry Liam and live happily ever after.

If only her prince charming could be the man she wanted him to be.

Out of everything that was consuming her thoughts, one thing was for sure; she'd either leave this mess with a broken body, or a broken heart.

**Alright guys, that's all I've got right now. It's my senior year of high school and I'm super busy but next chapter will have some juicier stuff in it I promise. Thank you to the people who have stuck with this and not given up on me, I'll try not to let you down. Review!**


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